NASCAR during the early 2010s was a desert for young talent. With all-time bad Cup Series ROTYs like Stephen Leicht, Andy Lally, and Kevin Conway. Due to bushwhacking and teams being comfy with their veterans, leading them not to want to develop talent. Doesn’t mean there was no talent.

A Window Into A World That Never Was

Looking at the standings and many of the winners shows a plethora of young talents who never lived up to their full potential. Starting with the very first winner of the year, John King. Now, King wasn’t a young talent wasted but a guy who was lucky to be there at all.

Before 2012, the man from Kingsport, Tennessee, made only seven starts in the NASCAR Truck Series for three different owners, with his best finish on debut. So, a lot of people were shocked when a top-tier team, Red Horse, signed him for 2012.

And he would really shock people when, in his first ever race at a superspeedway, he would win his first ever NASCAR race after he accidentally hooked Sauter to set up a final restart where Joey Coulter, going flying into the catchfence, would end things under yellow.

King would go from leading the NASCAR Truck Series standings for two weeks to being fired midseason for underperformance and a lack of sponsorship. He never went full-time, instead picking up PT rides. Many at Daytona, where he never could recapture that magic he had in 2012.

Then There Was Justin Lofton, Cale Gale, and Eddie Sharp Racing

A what-if driver and a what-if team for the price of one. Lofton was the 2009 ARCA champion, holding off another 2012 NASCAR truck winner and what-if driver Kligerman, who won nine races that ARCA season.But entering 2012, while Lofton had shown flashes of speed in NASCAR, he’d still been fired by top truck teams like Red Horse and Germain before being picked up by Eddie Sharp Racing.

2012 looked to be a massive year for the team after being outbid by KHI, another top truck team. And it looked like they’d be a top NASCAR truck when Lofton won at Charlotte on pure speed, beating Cup driver Keselowski.Then, in the finale with the ESR No.33, Cale Gale, an RCR development driver, also beat Keselowski in a memorable photo finish.

But all these promises would go unfilled. ESR, due to the expansion to four trucks, would shut down after 2013 due to financial constraints. And neither Lofton nor Gale would go full-time in any NASCAR series again. Both are remembered as busts.

Now for Nelson Piquet Jr.

Piquet Jr. will not be remembered most for anything he did in NASCAR but for the “crashgate” scandal in F1 where Renault told the Brazilian to crash on purpose to give teammate Alonso a strategic advantage, which led to him winning that GP.

His NASCAR career is underrated, though, as his 2012 season showed. After he was rejected by F1 and left amid a scandal, he crossed that massive pond and went into NASCAR. In his second full-time truck, he improved from his tenth-place points finish to seventh, winning two races.

At Michigan and Las Vegas, two oval trucks. Making him one of the few drivers who started racing out in road course-based series to come over to NASCAR and win at any oval. Something not like what Montoya, Ambrose, or currently SVG has done.

He even won at Road America in the Nationwide Series in 2012, his only Nationwide Series win. In 2013, he went full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with his NASCAR Truck Series team, Turner Scott. He didn’t win in 2013, and not only would he never be full-time in NASCAR again, but he would do only one Cup Series start in 2014.

Bonus Round: The 2012 Truck Series Champion: James Buescher

But the weirdest thing to look back on is, of course, that year’s champion. James Buescher also won the opening NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona that year. And went on to compete in four NASCAR Truck Series races in 2012, winning the championship.

He returned to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2013 and finished third in the points standings after winning two races. But after his full-time season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2014 with RAB, his career would dissipate, and today he’s made a career for himself in real estate.

A lack of funding, plus his truck and nationwide series team, Turner Scott, peaking at this time, before overambition and internal politics kill the team from within. It meant that James’s garage connections were useless, and nobody wanted to give the young talent a chance without sponsorship backing.

Final Thoughts

Something that’s even more awkward to remember when seeing his cousin Chris Buescher winning in the Cup Series. As he’s an Xfinity and ARCA Series champion with a top ride, he’s shown he’s a top-ten or better driver in the top division of NASCAR. Emphasizing how much untapped potential we can see from this one truck series season alone, thanks a bunch for reading!

The NASCAR community is mourning the loss of former driver Michael Annett. He passed away Friday at the age of 39. 

Annett, the winner at Daytona in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2019 and a veteran across all three national NASCAR levels, was remembered with heartfelt statements from both NASCAR and JR Motorsports. His loss is weighing on the two organizations.

NASCAR issued a statement Saturday morning, expressing deep sadness over Annett’s passing, honoring both his competitive spirit and the way he carried himself throughout his career: “NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett,” NASCAR’s statement read, via FOX’s Bob Pockrass.

“Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”

Annett spent five seasons driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, from 2017 through his retirement in 2021. The team credited him with helping build the foundation of the organization as it stands today. 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” JR Motorsports’ statement read. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

News of Annett’s death was first shared by his talent agency, Rising Star Management Group, which wrote, “We are sad to have lost a family member. Michael Annett will always be in our hearts. Our thoughts are with the Annett family at this time. Rest in peace MA.” No cause of death has been released in the time since.

Annett had an impressive career, making 106 Cup Series starts between 2014 and 2016 and spending the majority of his NASCAR career in what was formerly called the Xfinity Series. His 2019 Daytona victory marked the biggest moment of his time in the sport, punctuating a career defined by perseverance and respect within the garage.

He stepped away after the 2021 season, due to complications from a right-leg injury that sidelined him late that year. The Xfinity Series paid tribute as well, writing, “We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of former Xfinity Series driver Michael Annett at the age of 39. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Annett family in this difficult time.”

As you can tell, Annett was a respected competitor, loyal teammate and universally liked figure in the motorsports world. He leaves behind a lasting impact across the NASCAR community, and thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. 

Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett has died at 39 years old, Team RSMG, who represented Annett, announced Friday (Dec. 5).

Annett ran 436 NASCAR national series races in his career, which spanned from 2008 until his retirement due to injuries in 2021.

His crowning achievement in the sport came in 2019 with a win at Daytona International Speedway for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The team paid respects to the Annett family in an X post on Friday, saying Annett was “a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

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Born in Des Moines, Iowa to father Harrold Annett, a World of Outlaws car owner, Michael’s sports career began in ice hockey. He won the Clark Cup in 2004 with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL before he began his racing career after high school.

After racing at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and briefly in ASA, Annett took the jump to the ARCA Menards Series in 2007. He won two races with Bill Davis Racing at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and again at Daytona in the 2008 season opener.

Annett made several starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2008 before making his O’Reilly’s debut with Germain Racing in the year’s final race, eventually going full time in 2009.

After two seasons with Germain and one with Rusty Wallace Racing, Annett’s breakout season came in 2012 with Richard Petty Motorsports. Annett recorded five top fives, including a new career-best finish of third on two occasions, and finished fifth in the driver’s standings.

Annett moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 with Tommy Baldwin Racing, finishing 33rd in the standings before jumping to HScott Motorsports. He managed to race into the 2015 Daytona 500 and recorded his best Cup finish in 13th, but never managed a points finish better than 36th in two seasons.

The final five years of his career in NASCAR was spent with JRM, managing three playoff berths and three ninth-place finishes in the standings. In 2021, a stress fracture in his right femur led to him missing two races before returning and reaggravating the injury. On Oct. 6, he announced he’d retire from NASCAR at season’s end.

A cause of death was not announced.

James Krause joined Frontstretch in March 2024 as a contributor. Krause was born and raised in Illinois and graduated from Northern Illinois University. He currently works in Fort Wayne, Indiana covering minor league, college and high school sports. Outside of racing, Krause loves to keep up with football, music, anime and video games.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Michael Annett, a longtime NASCAR competitor and former Xfinity Series winner, has died at 39, JR Motorsports and NASCAR announced Friday.

Details on Annett’s cause of death were not released.

According to NASCAR, Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, competed in 436 races across NASCAR’s three national touring series, building much of his résumé in the Xfinity Series with 321 starts. His defining moment came in 2019 when he captured the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, his lone national-series win.

NASCAR also said he entered the Xfinity Series in 2008 before moving to full-time competition the following year. Stops at Germain Racing, Rusty Wallace Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports preceded a three-year stretch in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he made 106 starts for Turner Scott Motorsports from 2014 to 2016. He joined JR Motorsports in 2017 and remained with the team until stepping away after a leg injury cut into his 2021 season.

In a statement posted to Instagram, JR Motorsports reflected on Annett’s impact and extended condolences.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the team wrote. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

The team added that Annett’s presence helped shape the identity and growth of the program during a pivotal stretch.

Before reaching NASCAR’s highest levels, Annett twice won in the ARCA Menards Series, claiming victories at Talladega in 2007 and Daytona in 2008.

NASCAR called Annett a respected competitor whose attitude resonated throughout the garage.

“Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone,” NASCAR’s statement said, noting that he handled his career “with the passion of a true racer.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports, said he saw untapped potential in Annett when he recruited him in 2017. Annett’s 2019 Daytona victory, he said, reminded him of another moment in the sport’s history.

“It reminds me of an Earnhardt giving a Michael a chance years ago to show his potential,” Earnhardt said.

JR Motorsports, who fielded entries for Annett between 2017 and 2021, also posted on social media sharing the team’s condolences.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” reads JR Motorsports’ post. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

Annett earned a victory in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2019 at Daytona International Speedway while driving for JR Motorsports. He recorded 19 top-five finishes and 95 top-10 finishes in 321 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts, finishing fifth in the series’ points in 2012.